“We are honoured to renew our partnership with the Antinori family,” said Jim Mortensen, president and CEO of Ste. Michelle Wine Estates. “We consider them friends as well as partners, and we look forward to continuing our relationship for years to come.”

In 1995, Ste. Michelle and Marchesi Antinori jointly established Col Solare, an estate that produces Cabernet Sauvignon in Washington State. Since then, Ste. Michelle has become the exclusive US importer of the Marchesi Antinori portfolio. In 2007, the two companies acquired Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, the Napa Valley estate that came to international prominence after the Judgement of Paris tasting in 1976.

The two companies have agreed to a new five-year distribution agreement.

“We are very happy about the renewal of this partnership with Ste. Michelle Wine Estates,” said Renzo Cotarella, CEO and Chief Oenologist for Marchesi Antinori. “We have a lot of confidence in our long-lasting relationship and we have great expectations for what’s to come.”